I'm the Freak!
by ObscureEnough
Summary: She may be a Goth, but they're the freaks.


**Prompt/Prompter:** teaandhoney; Buffy/Glee [Tina/Scoobies]

bDisclaimer:/b Don't own or claim rights to Buffy or Glee

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><p>"Freak," the footballer grunted as he shoved past.<p>

Tina shrank back against the lockers, determined not to cry. Her family had moved halfway across the country, to sunny California, and how much had changed? Not a damn thing. There were bullies in Lima, and there were bullies here in Sunnydale.

"Don't mind Larry," came a boy's voice from behind her, "he can't help being a Cro-Mag."

"A, a what?" Tina asked, startled and not a little confused.

"Cro-Mag," the boy nodded. "You know, like Cro-Magnon man, early humans?"

"Oh," Tina gasped, then smiled. "I had a friend who called bullies 'Neanderthals'."

"Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal are not that different, actually," the redhead beside the cute boy nodded eagerly. "The oldest European Early Modern Humans possibly had Neanderthal traits."

The dark-haired boy grinned at his friend then turned to Tina. "And if you want any help with science, you now know where to look. By the way, I'm Xander, and the brainiac beside me is Willow. And, unless I miss my guess, you're new here."

"Tina," she smiled gamely, holding out a tentative hand.

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><p>Later, Tina would decide that good beginnings don't necessarily make the right impression. Xander and Willow had been nice, helping her out with the bullies and the geeks, and even pointing her in the right direction for their version of Glee club. They had seemed so <em>normal<em>. So much for first impressions being the right ones; these people were down-right weird.

The first sign of their weirdness came when she wanted to study in the library after school one day. Willow and Xander were there, along with Buffy, who seemed like she should have been a cheerleader, Cordelia, who _was_ a cheerleader, and a senior named Oz, who was famous for being in a band, and therefore cool. Oh, and the librarian, Mr Giles, who, being British, was therefore so much better than the one back home (what was her name?)

So she waltzed in to the library, dropped her bag down onto a clear space, and began to pull her books out, ready to study. The utter silence that descended was unnerving to say the least. Significant looks were exchanged, including one from Buffy to Mr Giles, urging him to _do_ something.

Xander jumped up, slapping his hands together. "Tina," he yelped, "uh, good to see you. And it's, uh, great that you're interested in joining our Historical Society, it's just that, um, we're full. We're full up," he nodded, "which is such a shame, 'cause I know you'd just love learning about, uh," he glanced down at the book open in front of him, "kesh-ka … uh, kishk'uh…"

Willow quickly turned the book around. "Keh-kashek," she read out.

"Yeah, them," Xander nodded. "Truly a shame that we just don't have any more room," he nodded enthusiastically.

"Historical society?" Tina asked doubtfully.

"Yep," Buffy nodded.

"I hadn't heard about any historical society," Tina frowned slightly.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "It's a closed group, okay?" she huffed. "So take your Hot Topic backpack and vamoose."

"Cordelia," Willow hissed. "Tina's nice. Be nice to her."

"Oh, like I take orders from you," Cordelia sneered. "And when am I ever nice?" she added scornfully.

"She's got you there, Will," Xander nodded sagely. "You should know by now that Cordy doesn't do 'nice'."

Cordelia turned in her seat to gape at Xander. "Oh, my god," she gasped theatrically, "you can be trained!"

"Yeah, yeah," Xander sighed, "laugh it up. So, anyway," he turned back to Tina, "uh, group's closed – sorry – and we kind of meet in the library most afternoons, so…"

"Fine," Tina sighed, scooping her books back into her backpack. "What about lunchtimes?" she asked. "Are lunchtimes free?"

"Er…" Mr Giles began hesitantly.

Tina rolled her eyes, and walked out of the library. She could possibly have found some friends kind of like New Directions back home, if only they weren't so strange.

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><p>The second sign Xander's group were just plain weird was when she was out at the local club, the Bronze. Oz's band was playing ('Dingos Ate My Baby' – really?) and the rest of them were hanging around, listening. Willow was doing the groupie thing, Xander and Cordelia were studiously avoiding one another, and Buffy was flirting with a college guy or something. All of a sudden, Xander was tapping on Buffy's shoulder and talking rapidly. Buffy and her boyfriend immediately went all DefCon One, and Tina swore the blonde pulled a stick out of <em>somewhere<em> just before they dashed out of the club, Xander trailing along behind. They were gone for ten or fifteen minutes, and when they came back Buffy was fluffing her hair, and complaining about the dust.

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><p>The final straw came when Tina found herself clawing her way out of her grave one fine night. She dusted herself off, and scowled at the pretty dress her parents had put her into for her funeral. White with pink flowers: Did they even know her at all? She huffed and determined to find more appropriate clothing at the first possible opportunity.<p>

She turned to find Buffy standing there, holding a sharp stick (please: who did she think she was?) and wearing a sorrowful expression. "Oh, god, it's the weirdos," she scoffed. "Go away, little girl, before you get hurt. I'm vampire, an _Asian_ vampire: we're the worst."

"'Little girl?'" Buffy demanded. "'Little girl?' Oh, you may be an Asian vampire, and I really don't know about that, but I'm the _Slayer_, honey. And that means I do this," she added, darting forward.

"What?" Tina got out, then looked down. "Oh," she murmured as she exploded into dust.

"I really liked her," Xander sighed mournfully.

"I know, Xan," Buffy nodded. "Maybe we should have tried harder to let her in."

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "Glee club is really going to miss her."

The three friends continued down the street in silence until Buffy stopped. "Wait. We have a Glee club?"


End file.
